Table Of Contents

• What is Ozone?
• How does ozone dental treatment work?
  
• Benefits of ozone dental treatment?
  
• Ozone dental treatment for oral health
• Is ozone dental therapy safe?
• What to expect during an ozone dental treatment?

Ozone is most commonly known for its vital role in maintaining earth’s ecological harmony, and for the way in which it interacts with air pollutants at the ground-level (earth’s lower atmosphere). However, ozone is also harnessed for medical application in various fields, including biological dentistry.

1. What is Ozone ?

Ozone (an O3 molecule) is an activated form of Oxygen (an O2 molecule). Ozone behaves very differently from the oxygen we breathe. Molecules of ozone are much more oxidative and energetic than oxygen molecules. These essential molecular qualities are what make ozone such a valuable resource in therapeutic application.

Ozone has been utilized as a healing modality for over a century, with its effectiveness first gaining true recognition and documentation during WWI. It was later adopted in 1950 as a commonly accepted medical treatment in Germany, with world-wide implementation growing from that point forward.

Today, ozone is regarded as having antimicrobial, bactericidal, viricidal, and fungicidal qualities. Furthermore, ozone has anti-inflammatory properties, positively impacts blood flow/circulation, stimulates the neuro-endocrine system, and increases the effectiveness of the body’s antioxidant enzyme system

Ozone dental treatment is a natural, non invasive for many common dental problems. This therapy uses either pure ozone, ozonated water, or ozonated oil to safely kill microorganisms in the mouth and treat minor tooth decay (also known as dental caries).

 

2. How does ozone dental treatment work?

Ozone is used in dentistry by applying either ozone gas, ozonated water, or ozonated oil to the mouth. Over the course of a few minutes, the ozone works to kill pathogenic bacteria and decrease tooth sensitivity.

In ozone dental treatment, the dentist first uses an ozone generator machine to create ozone gas (O3) from oxygen molecules (O2). Some treatments use the ozone gas directly, while others mix the gas with water or oil to make an ozone solution used in the treatment.

The dentist applies the ozone gas or ozonated water to the patient’s teeth and gums, where it does its work. Ozone is a potent oxidant that is antimicrobial and acts as a disinfectant.

During treatment, the oxygen atoms in ozone interact with the pathogens that cause cavities and periodontal disease. The oxygen oxidizes and kills the harmful microbes in the mouth and helps break down the plaque biofilms that lead to tooth decay.

One strength of ozone treatment is that it doesn’t damage healthy tissues. Our cells have antioxidants and free radical scavengers that fight the oxidative effects of ozone. Bacteria and other pathogens don’t have enough of these molecules, so the ozone kills them.

 

3. Benefits of ozone dental treatment:

There are many benefits of ozone therapy for dental health, including:

• Elimination of Tooth Decay: Ozone therapy is the best way to treat mild tooth decay painlessly.
  Effective Remineralization: Ozone treatment effectively repairs and remineralizes weakened enamel, with or without an additional remineralizing solution.
• Minimally Invasive: In most ozone dental treatments, ozone is applied directly to the outside of the tooth or gums. There’s no dreaded drilling involved in ozone cavity treatment, which can relieve dental anxiety for nervous patients.
• Reduction of Tooth Sensitivity: Tooth sensitivity is usually caused by thin enamel. Because ozone is quite effective at repairing tooth enamel, it’s also a great way to treat sensitive teeth
• Canker Sore Treatment: Research has shown that ozone can effectively treat and heal canker sores. It helps reduce the pain caused by canker sores, too. Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain: Ozone can be a very effective natural treatment for TMJ pain.
• Safe, Effective, and Natural: Many dental treatments use toxic materials like mercury amalgam fillings Ozone is a molecule found in nature, and it breaks back down to O2 within minutes of your dentist applying it.
• Quick Results: Because there is no numbing needed and the application of ozone takes just a few seconds, treatment time is minimal.

There are so many potential uses and benefits that come along with ozone for dental care. What’s more, it eliminates the damage to the tooth structure and oral tissue that can come with more invasive conventional treatments.

 

4. Ozone dental treatment for oral health

Ozone can be used in many different dental treatments, including gum disease, remineralization, and endodontic procedures. Here’s how ozone can positively impact oral health in each option.

OZONE FOR GUM DISEASE
Ozone is effective in treating periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal disease is usually caused by a buildup of plaque and bacteria. Typically, this occurs because of insufficient brushing and flossing habits.

As the bacteria multiply, they start to irritate the gums, causing inflammation.

Eventually, the bacteria can cause a gap to form between your gums and teeth, called a periodontal pocket. If left untreated, abscesses can form, and tooth loss may follow.
Ozone treatments help destroy the bacteria that cause inflammation and gum disease.

By bathing the gums in ozone, dentists eliminate the pathogens behind gum disease, ensuring that the gums and mouth stay healthy.

OZONE FOR DENTAL PROCEDURES
Ozone can also be used in more complex endodontic dental procedures, like root canals. Dental professionals recommend root canals when the soft inner part of the tooth, the pulp, becomes infected or injured. Root canals are often needed when a very deep cavity forms.

Root canal treatment typically involves removing a small amount of the outer enamel and dentin of the tooth, then removing the inner pulp. Next, the dentist or endodontist will clean and disinfect the inside of the tooth, traditionally with a chemical disinfectant or antibiotic.

Biological or holistic dentists may use ozone to disinfect the inner tooth instead of chemicals or antibiotics. Both ozone gas and ozonated water are effective against the bacteria and fungi most commonly found in dental pulp infections, yet don’t contain potentially harmful ingredients. A well-cleaned root canal can avoid the chances of extraction and the need for a dental implant.

OZONE FOR REMINERALIZATION
Can ozone heal cavities? Yes, ozone can often heal very small cavities. However, some cavities that have developed untreated for a long time are too deep for the use of ozone. With regular dental visits, any cavities caught during an exam should be treatable with ozone.

Ozone treatment is an incredibly effective treatment for tooth decay. Pathogenic bacteria in the mouth secrete acids that weaken enamel. Over time, the bacteria continue to grow and cause decay and cavities.

Ozone destroys the cavity-causing bacteria without harming the tissues of the mouth. It also helps break down plaque that allows those bacteria to thrive. Without the bacteria and plaque, your saliva can naturally remineralize the teeth and strengthen enamel.
Ozone treatment can also help remineralize your teeth directly.

 

5. Is ozone dental therapy safe?

Ozone therapy is safe when used by a professional at the proper concentrations. Ozone has been in use in dentistry since 1930, much longer than many other common medical treatments.

 

6. What to expect during an ozone dental treatment?

In general, ozone dental treatments are quick and painless. Here’s what will happen when you come in for your treatment:
Your dental professional will talk you through what they will be doing and what you can expect during treatment.
You’ll lie down in the dentist’s chair while your dentist prepares for the treatment.
Your dental professional will turn on the ozone generator to produce the ozone that will be used during your therapy.
The dental professional applies the ozone gas or ozonated water to your teeth and/or gums, wherever the treatment is needed.
You’ll wait up to a minute or two for the ozone to work, then your treatment will be all done.
Your dentist may have you wait around for a few minutes for the ozone to dissipate and break down before you leave.